Jimmy Carter’s Grandson Opens Up About 98-Year-Old’s Deteriorating Health & Reveals Only Close Family Can Visit Him

Aug 14, 2023

James Earl Carter Jr., known as former President Jimmy Carter, was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. He served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Prior to being president, Jimmy was a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967 and the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. 

Jimmy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his dedication to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights and promoting economic and social development. He achieved these goals through his work with The Carter Center, founded in 1982. The Carter Center is a non-profit organization with the mission of advancing human rights. 

Jimmy, now 98, has lived in Plains, Georgia, his entire life. He was born at the Wise Sanitarium, the hospital where his mother worked as a nurse, which makes him the first U.S. president to be born in a hospital. Back in the 1920s, Plains was a boomtown of around 600 people. His father, James Earl Carter Sr., owned a general store and invested in farmland. 

When he was a U.S. Naval Academy student, Jimmy met his future wife, Rosalynn, in 1945. After he proposed, Rosalynn said no at first because of a promise she made to her father that she would wait to marry until she graduated college. She kept that promise and married Jimmy in 1946 after graduating from Georgia Southwestern College. They would go on to stay married for a staggering 77 years and counting, proving perhaps that there are, in fact, soulmates. 

The former president has experienced health concerns in the last years, including a cancer diagnosis. In a Twitter post on Feb. 18, 2023, The Carter Center announced that Jimmy was receiving hospice care at home in Plains, Georgia, during his final days. Months later, in August 2023, Jimmy's grandson gave an update on his deteriorating health.

In recent years, Jimmy has been plagued with serious health problems, which stemmed from a melanoma diagnosis in 2015, which had spread to his brain and liver. However, after receiving treatment, the former president was declared cancer free that same year.

A statement from The Carter Center was released on Feb. 18, 2023, that read:

"After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers."

It's unclear from the announcement whether Jimmy's cancer had returned or if his decision to cease further medical treatment and begin hospice care was prompted by another health condition.

Hospice care is intended to make patients who are nearing the end of life comfortable and provide support to them and their loved ones once they make the decision to suspend medical treatment. Patients are generally not expected to live longer than six months, however, in some cases, people have survived much longer.

Jason Carter, Jimmy's grandson, tweeted a response to the announcement that said:

"I saw both of my grandparents yesterday. They are at peace and—as always—their home is full of love. Thank you all for your kind words."

The announcement came some four months after Jimmy celebrated his 98th birthday. At the time, Jimmy and his wife Rosalynn were driven by a Secret Service agent in a red convertible during the annual Plains Peanut Festival, while their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren followed behind on foot.

The Washington Post reported that Jimmy's health has gradually declined in the last few months. He gets around by wheelchair, while Rosalynn uses a walker. The outlet reported that in recent weeks the couple had gone out for car rides together.

The Carters are known for their incredible love story, and they celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary in 2023. Rosalynn told CNN in 2021 that when she first met Jimmy, she was quite smitten with him. 

"I thought he was the most handsome young man I had ever seen," she said.

Their love was instant and has lasted the test of time. According to CNN, when he got home from his first date with Roslynn, Jimmy told his mother, "She's the girl I want to marry." 

A longtime friend of the Carters, Jill Stucky, said that the former president trusted his wife above anyone else. "Rosalynn has always been that trusted adviser that is selfless. He knows for sure that she is looking out for others. And I don't know if President Carter would have been president without Rosalynn," Stuckey explained. 

"They will never, ever give up once they set their mind to something, they put everything into it," Stuckey said. "And every day they try to eat right, exercise because they know the value of their presence to a project and they want to live as long as they can, so they can help as many people as they can."

When asked what his secret to a long marriage was, Jimmy answered:

"First of all, it's best to choose the right woman, which I did. And secondly, we give each other space to do our own things. We try to be reconciled before we go to sleep at night, and try to find everything we can think of that we like to do together."

"So we have a lot of good times, he said.

Jimmy’s grandson, Hugo Wentzel, has given another update on his grandfather’s health after his appearance on the reality competition show, “Claim To Fame.” After Wentzel exited the show in August 2023, he revealed he was the son of Jimmy’s daughter, Amy Carter, and had some kind words to say about his beloved grandpa.

“I have had a great life with him. He's been an amazing grandpa. He's an amazing person. I absolutely love him. Just from what he's done as a family man, I've had great experiences. Growing up, he's been a great influence, and at this point, we're just taking care of him, expressing love, as he gets older,” Wentzel said.

He added he looked up to his grandfather as he was a man who was “all about everyone being equal and just trying to love everyone as much as you can.”

Wentzel shared that the “biggest takeaway” from a recent conversation with Jimmy “was just something basic, but I do apply it in my life. He just said, ‘When you start something, just don't stop doing it until it's done.’ … I really took it to heart, and that's one of my principles for my life at this point.” 

He also told Entertainment Weekly that Jimmy’s health was deteriorating, and it was getting “harder and harder to see him,” as only close family are able to visit.

“My mom spends a lot of her time with him. She spends almost half her time taking care of him at this point just because of things like COVID regulations. So it's really family oriented. I haven't been seeing him as much recently, but he knows that I love him and we're supporting him through this time,” he added.

Wentzel said despite his ailing condition, Jimmy’s spirits were still high. 

“He's pretty sick. He still does use his brain. He listens to audiobooks. He's a genius. He's super smart. I love him. He always wants to be doing something with his mind, so he's trying to keep himself busy, but he is really sick and getting older.”

Did you know about President Jimmy Carter's deep love for his wife Rosalynn? What do you think about his decision to stop medical treatment in favor of hospice care? Let us know, then pass this on to your friends and family so they can read about it too.